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Arizona Cardinals hire Kliff Kingsbury as head coach

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) introduces new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) introduces new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) arrives with his new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals president Michael Bidwill (left) arrives with his new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

New York Jets third-string quarterback Kliff Kingsbury fires a pass from the pocket in the final seconds of the Jets 27-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

New York Jets third-string quarterback Kliff Kingsbury fires a pass from the pocket in the final seconds of the Jets 27-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2005.
Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury celebrates with head coach Mike Leach in the final minutes of the fourth quarter against Clemson at the Mazda Tangerine Bowl on Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, in Orlando, Fla. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury celebrates with head coach Mike Leach in the final minutes of the fourth quarter against Clemson at the Mazda Tangerine Bowl on Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, in Orlando, Fla.
Associated Press

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is joined by coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury after becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 in New York. Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is joined by coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury after becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 in New York.
Associated Press

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech student Ellen Elizabeth Perron shows her support for head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 2, 2013. Michael C. Johnson, Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech student Ellen Elizabeth Perron shows her support for head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 2, 2013.
Michael C. Johnson, Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2014 Big 12 Media Day in Dallas. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2014 Big 12 Media Day in Dallas.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Patrick Mahomes watch a replay on the video board during a game against West Virginia. Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Patrick Mahomes watch a replay on the video board during a game against West Virginia.
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2017 Big 12 media days at the Frisco Star Ford Center near Dallas. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during the 2017 Big 12 media days at the Frisco Star Ford Center near Dallas.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury watches from the sidelines during a game against West Virginia. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury watches from the sidelines during a game against West Virginia.
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during 2018 Big 12 football media days at the Ford Center at the Star. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media during 2018 Big 12 football media days at the Ford Center at the Star.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury questions a call by the officials in a game against Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury questions a call by the officials in a game against Kansas State at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

A Texas Tech fan in a wedding dress has a message for the Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kinsgbury on Oct. 31, 2015. Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

A Texas Tech fan in a wedding dress has a message for the Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kinsgbury on Oct. 31, 2015.
Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury checks the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Baylor Bears in 2018. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury checks the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Baylor Bears in 2018.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury walks off the field after the team's NCAA college football game against Texas in Lubbock, Texas. The Arizona Cardinals have hired Kingsbury, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018 after a long interview earlier in the day. Brad Tollefson/AP

Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

In this Nov. 10, 2018 file photo Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury walks off the field after the team's NCAA college football game against Texas in Lubbock, Texas. The Arizona Cardinals have hired Kingsbury, a move aimed at providing guidance for young quarterback Josh Rosen and resuscitating the worst offense in the NFL. The Cardinals announced the hiring Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2018 after a long interview earlier in the day.
Brad Tollefson/AP

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Photos: Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury

Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim introduce new head coach Kliff Kingsbury during a news conference on Jan. 9, 2019 at the Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.

Many NFL teams have become obsessed with finding the next Sean McVay considering what the young, offensive guru has done the past two seasons as coach of the Rams. The Cardinals think they found the next one in Kliff Kingsbury.

They better be right, because after firing head coach Steve Wilks eight days ago after just one year, the team announced the hiring of Kingsbury just before 3 p.m. on Tuesday as their new head coach, even though the 39-year-old has no NFL coaching experience.

“I've been around football my entire life,” Kingsbury told the Cardinals' website. “I've played in this league, coached on the college level, and have always been fascinated by the NFL. With the offensive trends these days, it felt like a perfect time to be here.”

In an 11-second video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, which was recorded at the team's Tempe training complex, Kingsbury said he's looking forward to taking the field "in front of the Red Sea. It's time to rise up."

Kingsbury, who met with Cardinals President Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim throughout the morning on Tuesday after interviewing with the Jets on Monday, has agreed to a four-year contract with an team option for a fifth year.

Arizona will introduce Kingsbury as team’s new head coach on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

On Dec. 5, Kingsbury agreed to become USC’s offensive coordinator, joining the Trojans’ staff after being relieved of his duties this past season as the head coach at Texas Tech, his alma mater. He was 35-40 over six seasons with the Red Raiders, enduring losing records during each of the past three years.

“I know he’d be able to relate to quarterbacks,” Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback, told reporters on Tuesday.

Kingsbury is viewed in many NFL circles as a brilliant playcaller who is adept at developing quarterbacks and the Cardinals believe he can bring out the best in Josh Rosen, who just completed a jittery rookie season after being selected with the 10th overall pick out of UCLA.

Rosen was 29th in the league in passing yards (2,278), tied for 30th in touchdowns (11), 32nd in completion percentage (55.2) and 33rd in passer rating (66.7).

The Cardinals, meanwhile, suffered through one of the worst seasons in their Arizona history, finishing 3-13 with the NFL’s worst overall offense (241.6 yards per game) and ranking last in both rushing offense (83.9) and passing offense (157.7) as well as last in scoring (14.1 points per game).

“I think you see where it's been, where it's going, you have a young quarterback, lots of salary cap space and a team that will continue to fight through the season,” Kingsbury told the team website. “I'm really honored to be here and excited to be here.”

In announcing Wilks’ firing, Bidwill said, “You look back at last year, I didn’t get it right and I take responsibility for it. We’re going to make sure that we get it right this time around.”

Kingsbury was the fifth and final head coaching candidate the Cardinals interviewed. They previously met with former Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell and Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor.

Two other candidates, former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, declined interview requests from the team.

USC Athletic Director Lynn Swann initially declined requests from both the Cardinals and the Jets seeking permission to interview Kingsbury. It was only in the past 48 hours or so that Swann backed off from that stance and allowed Kingsbury to test the NFL waters.

With the Cardinals, Kingsbury faces multiple challenges, including finding the right staff of experienced assistants that can help him turn around an abysmal offense and a defense that finished last against the run (154.9 yards allowed per game). The offensive line is in need of a facelift, there isn’t enough talent among the wide receivers and the team could also use an immediate upgrade at tight end.

The Cardinals do have some interesting things to offer, however. They have some ideal core players in place such as edge rusher Chandler Jones, an elite cornerback in Patrick Peterson and a versatile talent in running back David Johnson.

In addition to a young, potential franchise-type quarterback in Rosen, the Cardinals also own the No. 1 pick in April's NFL draft and nearly $70 million in available cap space to fill out the roster.

Reach McManaman at bob.mcmanaman@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @azbobbymac and listen to him live every Tuesday afternoon between 3-6 on 1580-AM The Fanatic with Roc and Manuch every Wednesday afternoon between 1-3 on Fox Sports 910-AM on The Freaks with Kenny and Crash.

Steve Wilks was introduced as the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals during a press conference on Jan. 23, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Wilks was the defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Bruce Arians: 2013-2017 |
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians is hugged by quarterback Drew Stanton (5) after Seattle Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh missed a field goal at the end of Sunday?s game in Seattle. The Cardinals won 26-24. Elaine Thompson, AP

Bruce Arians: 2013-2017 | Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians talks with quarterback Drew Stanton (5) prior to a game against the New York Giants at University of Phoenix Stadium. Matt Kartozian, Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Arians: 2003-2017 |
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians paces the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Titans 12-7. Rick Scuteri, AP

Dennis Green: 2004-2006 | Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green throws the red flag to challenge a call against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter of their football game Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006, in Glendale, Ariz. Matt York, AP

Dave McGinnis: 2000-2003 | Arizona Cardinals head coach Dave McGinnis celebrates after his team intercepted a pass in the end zone against the Green Bay Packers with two seconds remaining in the game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2003 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.The Cardinals defeated the Packers 20-13. (AP Photo/Paul Connors) PAUL CONNORS, AP